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Ford Focus Electric Car Named 2011 Green Car Vision Award? Winner

Green Car Journal’s annual Green Car Vision Award™ was presented to Ford today at the Washington Auto Show. Honoring the Ford Focus Electric car that will come to market late in 2011, the Green Car Vision Award™ celebrates an industry-leading, environmentally focused vehicle that is in its early stages of commercialization or in demonstration programs, but not yet on sale.

‘The groundwork that Ford has laid with such advanced and sensible technologies as EcoBoost, hybrid drivetrains, and ethanol flexible-fuel vehicles has shown an understanding of what it takes to bring fundamental change to the marketplace, without sacrificing the features and the driving enjoyment that is so important to new car ownership,’ said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com. ‘The Focus Electric is an extension of this philosophy.’

Based on the all-new 2012 Focus global car platform, the Focus Electric was designed from the ground up to be efficient, attractively packaged, and meet the needs of the mass market with the safety, comfort, and stylish features expected of the brand’s conventional models. It’s powered by lithium-ion batteries and offers a projected 100 mile all-electric driving range. It can be charged in three to four hours with a 240 volt home charger.

This year, Green Car Vision Award™ finalists included the electric vehicles Ford Focus Electric, Honda Fit EV, Mitsubishi i, Toyota RAV4 Electric, and Volvo C30 DrivE electric. For the first time in the history of this award, all candidates featured electric drive.

The award-winning Green Car Journal has focused on the intersection of automobiles, energy, and environment since 1992. As part of its mission, the magazine hosts events, produces ride-and-drives of advanced and clean fuel vehicles, and conducts various outreach efforts to educate consumers on better and more environmentally positive vehicle choices.

The 2011 Washington Auto Show opens to the public from Jan. 28-Feb. 6 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and is produced by the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association (WANADA). This 69th edition of the show will present more than 700 vehicles from over 42 domestic and import manufacturers and a special 65,000-square foot exhibit, ‘The Advanced Technology SuperHighway.’

www.washingtonautoshow.com